Doha, November 5 (QNA) - HE UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua affirmed that the Doha Political Declaration represents a collective commitment to promoting social development, leaving no one behind.

Speaking at a press conference held Wednesday on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development, His Excellency stated that Member States unanimously adopted the Doha Political Declaration at a critical juncture, as the world faces intertwined social, environmental, economic, and political challenges, ranging from widening inequalities to demographic shifts, rapid technological advancements, and environmental changes.

He added that the Doha Declaration reinforces commitments in the key areas addressed by the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration and its Plan of Action, namely eradicating poverty, achieving full and productive employment, providing decent work for all, promoting social inclusion, ensuring gender equality, and guaranteeing education and health for all.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs noted that the Doha Political Declaration has laid out a new roadmap that includes strong commitments to address urgent challenges such as food security, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, climate change, and financing for social development.

He noted that the UN Secretary-General focused on these areas in his opening remarks at the Summit, emphasizing the UN system's readiness to support Member States in following up on these new commitments and coordinating collective efforts to ensure a comprehensive, system-wide approach.

This aims to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and build upon the momentum of the Doha Political Declaration as a new impetus for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

For his part, HE Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations Omar Hilale expressed his country's pride in the unanimous adoption of the Doha Political Declaration, stating: The Declaration sends a powerful message that when the international community unites, the United Nations demonstrates its capacity to deliver, withstand challenges, and achieve tangible results on major global issues, foremost among them social development.

HE added at the press conference that the Doha Declaration is a continuation of the historical path, thirty years after the Copenhagen Declaration, reaffirming and strengthening previous commitments in terms of ambition, effectiveness, and inclusiveness. It is, therefore, a declaration that reflects the aspirations and needs of the 21st-century world.

He noted that the Doha Declaration came after nearly two years of practical and international discussions, and its adoption by consensus sends a message: We have chosen cooperation over division, ambition over skepticism, and we have demonstrated that unity can transform differences into a driving force for progress.

The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations stated that the Doha Declaration affirms that social justice and social development are inseparable pillars of peace, security, and sustainable development.

He explained that the declaration was drafted through extensive engagement with member states and civil society organizations, ensuring it would be a comprehensive and clear document easily understood by people worldwide.

He noted that the declaration included the “Doha Call to Action,” which focuses on the three pillars of social development: eradicating poverty, ensuring decent work, and promoting social inclusion.

It also calls for further action to eliminate discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and exclusion, and to ensure equitable access to education, healthcare, housing, and digital connectivity, while strengthening social cohesion.

For her part, HE Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United Nations Sophie De Smedt said that the Doha Declaration is not merely a symbolic reference to the past, but a bold blueprint for the future. It builds upon the legacy of Copenhagen and responds to today's realities, from rising inequalities to technological and geopolitical challenges and climate change, and calls for building inclusive and resilient societies.

She added that Doha has reignited global momentum for social progress and renewed the commitment to eradicating poverty, ensuring decent work, and achieving social inclusion for all through its distinguished hosting of the Second World Summit for Social Development.

She added Copenhagen laid the foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals, while the Doha Declaration adapts those goals to a new reality, setting a clear path to 2030.

Concluding her remarks at the press conference, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United Nations emphasized that the Doha Political Declaration places social development at the heart of global policies, not as a marginal issue, but as the foundation for lasting peace and shared prosperity.

It is worth noting that the Permanent Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdom of Belgium to the United Nations were tasked with leading and facilitating the intergovernmental negotiations on the Doha Political Declaration. (QNA)